Posted in Entertainment

Not one to let an interesting meme die, here’s my part. I’m normally not a fan of chain mail. But when a topic is good, and I can follow the chain back to different blogs and discover a few new artists, I’ll contribute too. Credit/blame Veerle for passing it on to me. continued

This must be the week — if not the day — to launch new designs of products and services under new ownership. Good friend, and former colleague at Wired, Stephen Blake played a large role in today’s launch of the new CNET-owned mp3.com redesign. XHTML, CSS, Sliding Doors, and rounded corners… oh my. continued

Benny Evangelista writes an interesting article for the SF Chronicle on the recently installed wifi at SBC Park. I read about the new wifi several weeks ago before opening day, but this is the first I’ve seen public mention about it in local media. Note: “SBC Park has been outfitted with 121 high-speed wireless Internet access points, making the ballpark one giant Wi-Fi hot spot.” continued

Last night, we went to see Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I’ll add my enthusiastic endorsement for the spectacular brilliance of this film. Whether it’s Kaufman’s creative screenwriting, Gondry’s directing, Carrey’s talented acting, or all of the above and more, I don’t care. Something comes together in this film that makes for a wonderful experience. All of us left the theater, nodding our heads, unable to immediately identify exactly what it was we liked so much about the movie. continued

Technically, I don’t care much who wins the SuperBowl tomorrow. I grew up in the Midwest, and played football in junior high and high school, so I enjoy watching a good game occasionally. Particularly college ball. As for the NFL, I’ve never been a fan of either the Panthers or the Patriots, so the game can go either direction, and it won’t affect my emotional state one iota. I am, as always, looking forward to the commercials. Some years disappoint. Others are filled with some of the best creative that money can buy from an ad agency. continued

This is interesting. HP and Apple are joining forces to create an HP-branded digital music player based on Apple’s iPodâ„¢. The device will be due out this summer. I had mixed reactions upon first seeing the news. My immediate thoughts went back to the Mac clones of 7 or 8 years ago. But I’m assuming Apple and Jobs know what they’re doing by OEMing the device for another brand powerhouse.

It certainly seems this could continue the increase in exposure of Apple’s hardware and software. According to the release:

As part of the alliance, HP consumer PCs and notebooks will come preinstalled with Apple’s iTunes® jukebox software and an easy-reference desktop icon to point consumers directly to the iTunes Music Store, ensuring a simple, seamless music experience.

If nothing else, it’s an interesting experiment while Apple is enjoying the market leader position in the digital music player space. Will Apple benefit in the long run? Who knows? But it’s a brave step either way.

Pirates of the Caribbean wasn’t on my list of movies to see until I read what a few others were saying about it. Now I can’t recommend it enough. This movie is an excellent 2.5 hours of pure escapism. Great sets, intriguing cinematography, fun characters, and a downright entertaining story. A good blend of action, humor, and a small dose of Disney-esque romance. As [Capt’n!] Jack Sparrow, Johnny Depp gives us another brilliant performance, holding the audience with his charm and swagger throughout the film’s entirety. He continues to impress me with his wide range of ability and the consistently strong characters of his recent career. And need I say what nice visuals Keira Knightley adds to this film? continued

A little more on the flamboyant title sequence I mentioned over Christmas from the movie, Catch Me If You Can. The opening title sequence was assembled by Nexus Productions out of London, who in turn, contracted a well-known pair of French animators and conceptual artists, Olivier Kuntzel and Florence Deygas. Kuntzel + Deygas are the creators behind the odd orange cow, Winney. Their work is also seen in several videos from the off-kilter pop sounds of Sparks. continued